Diona West
Diona West is a visual artist and songwriter based in Queens, New York. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, Diona stayed active in the DIY scene by playing in bands and curating art shows and fundraisers. Today, her artistic practice is focused on digital illustration and animation. Visit Diona at dionawest.com
FEATURED ARTIST
“Life can be weird and confusing and there are never too many places to escape from that.”
My approach to creativity in recent years has been to be more honest and less critical. I’ve come to accept that I have the same tastes I did when I was a young, pre-pubescent girl in the ’90s. I want to be surrounded by fur, glitter, flowers, and bright patterns, and I want to laugh, so I draw worlds like that. I make characters that have distinct styles and whose personalities can get away with saying and doing all the things I can’t in the real world. Life can be weird and confusing and there are never too many places to escape from that. To whoever is looking, I offer a place for the mind to play and be amused. I have become increasingly obsessed with animation and the satisfaction that comes from its time-consuming process. It gives my characters life and the permission to push boundaries they otherwise couldn’t. There are no rules or limitations other than the ones I create! Someday I want to make a feature-length video or animated series. In the meantime, I hope my creations bring joy, that is enough of a reason for anything to exist.
Diona West, New York, 2020